Overview

• Under a Justice Department threat to cut hundreds of millions in federal support, UVA President Jim Ryan resigned on June 28 to avoid jeopardizing the university’s budget.
• The DOJ investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has expanded from Ivy League institutions to public universities, explicitly demanding Ryan’s departure for compliance.
• Ryan’s resignation marks the first high-profile exit at a state institution under the Trump administration’s broader campaign against campus DEI programs.
• Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine denounced the federal pressure as an overreach that risks research grants, staff positions and student visas.
• Parallel probes and funding freezes at Harvard and Columbia underscore the administration’s intensifying push for admissions transparency and merit-based policies.